Germany line-up: Neuer, Friedrich, Khedira (Kroos, 77'), Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Podolski, Klose, Muller (Trochowski, 84'), Lahm (c), Mertesacker, Boateng (Jansen, 72')
Argentina line-up: Romero, Demichelis, Burdisso, Heinze, Di Maria (Aguero, 75'), Higuain, Messi, Tevez, Mascherano (c), Otamendi (Pastore, 70'), Rodriguez
They've made Australia look anonymous, Serbia significant and Ghana good in the group stage but since then they've engulfed England and now annihilated Argentina. After their sheer dominating display Germany must be thought of as favourites for this World Cup as South America's grip on the World has now began to fade somewhat. Germany outplayed, outclassed and outwitted the Argentinian giants with a breathtaking performance right from the get go. Germany were 1-0 ahead after just two minutes; Bastian Schweinsteiger, who absolutely dominated the mid-field, took a free-kick just to the left of Argentina's box, it swung in to meet Muller's slight header which went past the stranded Romero. Germany were ahead and the game had to open up which was fantastic news for the neutrals. Germany should have been two up within twenty minutes but Klose managed to fire over from twelve yards after Muller played the ball square to him. Many were thinking whether that might turn the game around for Argentina and within minutes they had the ball in the back of the net but it was disallowed, correctly, for offside on Carlos Tevez's part in the play. Apart from that Argentina couldn't find a way around Germany's defence and relied on long-range efforts which failed to trouble Neuer. Lionel Messi again was disappointing and bows out of the tournament without a goal to his name, he had a few long-range efforts himself but generally failed to miss the target altogether. While Argentina looked for an equaliser before half-time Germany were always looking a threat on the break via Ozil, Muller, Klose and Podolski, the latter could have also put Germany 2-0 ahead before half-time.
The second-half became more open and rather stretched which many thought suited Argentina but their lack of creativity to break through the German defence meant Podolski was free to counter, he made his way into the box before neatly squaring to Klose to tap the ball into the empty net from four yards. With just twenty minutes remaining the game for Argentina looked up and Maradona was already looking a forlorn figure in his technical area. Argentina had no choice but to press even harder and again to avail and like against England, Germany could just break at will and rip Argentina up. My personal man of the match Schweinsteiger made a great little dash from a short corner beating four Argentinian defenders before looping his square ball over the diving Romero where Arne Freidrich was on hand to put the game beyond all doubt at 3-0. This left fifteen minutes on the clock and at this point Germany were just having some fun and Argentina were very much at their mercy. Just before stoppage time Mesut Ozil, who had been rather quiet, was the next to breakout for Germany and Klose was on hand to grab his and Germany's fourth. This leaves Klose level with Gerd Muller on fourteen FIFA World Cup goals just one behind Brazil's Ronaldo which he will be keen to get and maybe even better.
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